Christina Murphy Archives - Sara Gilbane Interiors

Brown- dark chocolate, dirt, coca-cola, teddy bear, milk chocolate, mink, otter, bronze, caramel, toffee, mushroom, elephant, fig, and bourbon.

Brown is courageous, rich, steady, understated, sensuous, warm, and masculine. Used a the base color of a room the possibilities are endless. I love a deep, velvety, dark chocolate mixed with McClosky’s glazing compound to give it a liquid-like look. I prefer to use this color on walls in a room that is all ready dark. It feels like you have found a secret nook where you can spend hours reading, writing, watching movies, or napping. Brown works as a neutral and you can bring any color in for a pop. Paired with white moldings the rooms has a crisp tailored feel and art work really floats on the wall. The lacquered finish allows light to play off it in the most beautiful way. A deep chocolate is another wonderful way to ground a room ( and hide stains!).

I love this deep caramel and chocolate brown room. The painted white faux moldings give the oil painting a nice dose of modernity.

This image is from Elle Decor 2006. Notice how the deep chocolate walls receed and the carpet, daybed, mantle, art, and drapes become the focal point of the room.

Both rooms above are by Markham Roberts. The dark wood paneling creates a serious atmosphere and the fabrics he adds lighten the mood. I love the pop of turquoise in the lamps seen in the top room.

Jeffrey Bilhuber gave this dining room high gloss deep brown/ burgundy walls and kept everything else light with pale blue leather dining chairs and a sisal rug.

Brown is used as the accent in this room in Veranda. I love the chocolate brown valances and drapes that surround the bed and club chairs. This room has a clean quiet masculine feel. The white walls, ceiling, and sheets keep the room feeling light.

A fabulous room by Christina Murphy. The dark brown walls and bookshelves make the space feel bigger than it is. She keeps it modern with a geometric print wall to wall carpet, an orange sofa, and geometric fabric on the club chairs and throw pillows.

Below are a my picks for paint colors, wall coverings, fabrics, and accessories:

Best Brown Paints as seen in House Beautiful:

Background color is Benjamin Moore Bittersweet Chocolate – a personal favorite

1. Farrow and Ball London Stone- a nice taupey brown for those of you who prefer lighter browns.

2. Farrow and Ball Buff

3. Pratt and Lambert Autumn Dusk

4. benjamin Moore Appalachian Brown

5. Benjamin Moore Middlebury Brown

6. Benjamin Moore Tudor Brown – a reddish aubergine brown- very warm.

7. Benjamin Moore Mink – another personal fave

8. Benjamin Moore Night Horizon

Brown wall coverings:

When painting or papering a wall with a dark brown it is important to have some gloss or texture. The two selections above have texture and a bit of sparkle. This will keep your room feeling inviting rather than a dark pit.

1. Phillip Jeffries – Glam Grass in Mink- The sparkling silver strands running through this are amazing. When the light catches it a slight sparkle is cast off. Very chic.

2. Farrow and Ball- Dragged Paper DR1283. This is a stried paper which peps up the otherwise classic brown. While it feels flat the strie gives it the appearance of texture.

Note: Using a chocolate wool, felt, or velvet as wall upholstery is another great way to envelope a room in a textural chocolate.

1. Lee Jofa – 2009145_8

2. Lulu DK Chant brown w/ cream – also available in wallpaper through Donghia

3. F. Schumacher 52321844 by Celerie Kemble

4. Lee Jofa – 2430-GWF_68

5. Lee Jofa – SC10050_616

6. Martyn Lawrence Bullard Bodrum in dark brown

7. Lulu DK Peru caramel – through Donghia

8. Lee Jofa – 2009138_68

9. Lee Jofa – AM-Dora_3

10. Lee Jofa- GWF-2643_24

11. Lee Jofa – GWF-2635_165

1. Carter club chair in bitter chocolate colored mohair through William Sonoma Home

http://www.wshome.com/products/p9359/index.cfm?pkey=xsrd0m1%7C24%7C%7C%7C1%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7Ccarter&cm%5Fsrc=SCH

2. Dodi silk throw pillow in brown through Madeline Weinrib

http://madelineweinrib.com/mw/ikat/Dodi-Brown.html

3. Leather Abbott sofa through Jayson Home- on sale!

http://www.jaysonhomeandgarden.com/product.php?productid=2866

4. Moses wool rug in brown through The Rug Company

http://www.therugcompany.info/contemporary-collection/suzanne-sharp/moses-brown.htm

5. Leather Conrad sofa through Jayson Home – on sale!

http://www.jaysonhomeandgarden.com/product.php?productid=4018

6. Dorea table linens through Leontine Linens

http://www.leontinelinens.com/index.php/table/product/dorea2/

xo,

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Orange – pumpkin, rust, saffron, marigold, paprika, melon, peach, copper, spice, gold, flame, citrus, poppy, curry, mandarin, tangerine. Orange brings energy to a room. It can be dramatic in a deep rich shade or soothing in a pale peach or apricot. It works well with all colors ( just get the shade right, for example, a pale blue or a navy blue, a soft lavender paired with a deep orange is calming, orange paired with green brings a tropical feel to a space, bright orange with crisp white and chocolate brown keeps a space modern and fresh). Below are a collection of my favorite oranges:

The above image is Fredric Fekkai and his wife Shirin Von Wulffen’s 5th avenue apartment. I love the eclectic mix and the deep orange velvet in the living room is stunning.

Tory Burch’s orange library in her New York City apartment is amazing. Pulling in deep blues, chocolate brown alligator (the cocktail table), leopard print ( on stools), and tortoise shell decorative painting ( on the molding around the doors) makes this room work.

The above bedroom by Sarah Story is all neutrals aside from the vibrant orange bird wallpaper. When you have a wallpaper like this…who needs anything else! The side tables, lamps, and headboard keep the room from going vintage.

I love this room with it’s hot orange de Gournay wallpaper, bright coral silk drapes, and blue and white ikat chair seats. The rug, table, chairs, and wallpaper are quite traditional but the colors make it modern.

This room by James Lumden for the Greystone Estate show house is wonderful. The melon colored walls bring a warm glow to this bedroom while the moses rug from the Rug Company and the soft brown tufted mattress ground the room.

Another fabulously energizing room by my close friend ( and former colleague at Kemble!) Christina Murphy. The orange sofa pops dramatically off all of the chocolate brown and white. Love it!

The slightly more subdued cantaloupe orange walls work well off the grasscloth insets and dark wood.

Both images above are of the same room designed by Honey Collins. Again we see how nicely orange pops against dark wood and canvas. I love the orange piped trunk, throw pillows, and pops of orange in the rug and wing chair fabric.

The above room by David Netto is all cool blues, greys, and crisp whites. The orange throw gives the room some zip. If you are nervous about bathing your room in orange this is a good way to test the waters.